Mary Baker Eddy and Ellen G. White on This Day in History

 

This day in history: Mary Baker Eddy was born on this day in 1821. Ellen G. White died on this day in 1915.

Mary Baker Eddy was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, (Christian Science) in New England in 1879. 

Ellen Gould White was an American author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 

"There are many resemblances between Ellen G. White and Mary Baker Eddy. Both were semi-invalids as children; both found motherhood difficult and temporarily abandoned their own infants; both found extraordinary reserves of energy for speaking and for religious organization." Source

What is amazing to me is how many women spearheaded religious movements at the time. Mother Ann Lee founded the Shaker movement. The Fox Sisters started Spiritualism. Helena P. Blavatsky founded Theosophy. Aimee Semple McPherson was an important figure in the early Pentecostal movement. Ursula Gestefeld and Emma Curtis Hopkins initiated New Thought. Myrtle Fillmore founded the Unity School of Christianity along with her husband Charles, and Alice Bailey started the Arcane School. Eliza Farnham of Staten Island, founder of the Truth of Woman movement. There was also Alma B. White (Pillar of Fire Church) and Mother Leafy Anderson (Black Spiritualism).

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Christian Science Founder Mary Baker Eddy on This Day in History

 

Today in History: American religious leader, Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the The Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science) died on this day in 1910. In her time, Christian Science was quite popular. The central tenet of this faith was the view that disease is a mental error rather than physical disorder, and that the sick should be treated not by medicine but by a form of prayer. This was a view she modifed from Phineas Quimby, a 19th century mesmerist, who believed that there was nothing human beings couldn’t do so long as they believed fully in themselves. Physical illness, personal misfortune — these were results of an improperly aligned mental system. This view made it to Norman Vincent Peale who adopted it for his "The Power of Positive Thinking" which had an impact on Donald Trump. 

The classic children's book, The Secret Garden, was influenced by Christian Science.  "Burnett [the author] admired Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science teachings, which include the rejection of medicine in favor of prayer and positive thinking. These beliefs make their way into The Secret Garden through the character Colin, a sickly boy locked away in the mansion. It's even been proposed that the novel can be read 'as a feminist, Christian Science revision of ... rest cure,' which was a popular treatment involving 'bed rest, social isolation, and force-feeding.' The doctors in the book do Colin more harm than good with this method, and it’s Mary’s influence, as well as the influence of nature and good thoughts, that make Colin walk again." Source

While there are less than 50,000 members in the US today, at one time it had popular followers, such as Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, Robert Duvall, Joan Crawford, Val Kilmer. Others such as Henry Fonda, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Carol Burnett, and Ellen Degeneres, were raised by family members in the faith but didn’t continue.

Walt Disney and George Lucas were also acquainted with Christian Science, and some believe that the "Force" in Star Wars has Christian Science roots. 

Christian Science is considered one of the "15 Bizarre Religions Around The World That Will Leave You Intrigued" alongside the Church of Euthanasia and Raelism.

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